Philippians 2
Chuck Smith on Philippians 2
Verse by verse, taught on Sunday nights: the C2000 series, 1979 to 1985, and the C3000 series, 1985 to 1999. Permission granted by The Word For Today.
Sunday Nights, 1979 to 1985 (C2000)
Verses 1–2
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if [there is] any comfort of love, if [there is] any fellowship of the Spirit, if [there is] any bowels [compassion] and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind (2:1-2).
And so Paul's appeal to them now, a very powerful appeal: if there is any consolation in Christ, if there is any comfort in love, and surely there is consolation in Christ, how we are consoled by Him, how we are comforted in the love, and especially the time of death, the fellowship in the Spirit, the compassion and the mercy fulfill my joy. As John said, "I have no greater joy than to hear that the children walk in truth" (3 John 4). Fulfill my joy, that you be likeminded having the same love, being of one accord and one mind.
Verse 3
And let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves (2:3).
You want to be great in God's kingdom? Learn to be the servant.
It is interesting to me, how that these words of Paul are so often disregarded by the church. I have shared with you before how my break came with the denomination, over the fact that they announced to the pastors that competition was carnal motivation, but we must realize that the majority of the people we minister to are carnal, and thus, have to be carnally motivated. So we have to use competition to motivate them. Well, competition is striving, because we were to call another pastor and challenge his church to an attendance contest. "We are going to strive with you to see who can have the largest attendance." And then the church that lost was going to have to treat the church that won to a dinner. And the church that won was going to be honored. You know, "We want to be first so we can be honored." Vainglory and strife, or striving for vainglory. And how many times, that is the motive that is being used with people within the church: get them into competition, get them into striving, and get them into vainglory. "We are going to put the names up here on the wall. In each windowpane we are going to inscribe your name. We are going to put stained glass in. The Lord has told me we should have stained glass windows, and you know, you can buy your window and put your name or the name of your loved one in a window." And everybody that comes, as they look down the window, they will see your name. Vainglory.
Let nothing be done through strife and vainglory. Those are wrong motivations for serving God. But in lowliness of mind, just esteem others better than yourself.
Verse 4
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others [or the needs of others](2:4).
Don't just look at your own needs, but look at the needs of others around you.
Verse 5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (2:5):
And God minister to us now by Your Spirit, because we are treading in the Holy of Holies. We are getting down to the heart now of the whole issue. The issue of Christianity: my attitudes, my attitudes toward myself and my attitudes towards others. What is the mental attitude that I have towards myself? What is my mental attitude towards others? Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
"Do you know what he had the nerve to ask me to do? I told him I wanted to serve the Lord, and Romaine gave me a broom and told me to sweep the sidewalk. I hire people to sweep my sidewalks. Doesn't he know who I am? How much I have contributed to the church?" Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Verse 6
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery [something to be grasped] to be equal with God (2:6):
He didn't grasp, have to grasp equality with God; He was with God. "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God" (John 1:1). So being in the form of God, and not something to be grasped to be equal with God.
Now you talk about, "Hey, don't they know who I am? Don't they know how important I am? They didn't even offer to carry my suitcase. Don't they know?" Who, being in the form of God, and thought it not something to be grasped to be equal with God:
Verse 7
But made himself of no reputation [or in the Greek, emptied Himself], and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (2:7):
Well, we see now the steps downward as He emptied Himself: starting with God, equal with God, and yet, He emptied Himself and He came in the form of a servant, and was made like men.
Verse 8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (2:8).
And so, from glory and equality with God to that cruel Roman cross, hanging there with the jeers and the anger of the crowd, despised and rejected by man. What a tremendous downward, I mean from the highest height, down to death on a cross, surrounded by murderers. That tremendous plunge Jesus was willing to take for you. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Verse 9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him (2:9),
Now we see the steps out. For God said, "I will not leave your soul in hell, neither will I allow the Holy One to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10). And God has highly exalted Him.
Verses 9–11
and [He has] given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (2:9-11).
So from the glory to the glory, but the cross in between. He emptied Himself. Now let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus. That willingness to set aside what you are, to become a servant to others. Not esteeming yourself more highly than you should, just considering yourself privileged to be a servant of Jesus Christ. "Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord and He shall lift you up" (James 4:10). Christ the example, humbling Himself, but wherefore God has also highly exalted Him and given Him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus, Jehoshua, every knee will one day is going to bow, every tongue one day is going to confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord.
Now, you may not want to make that confession now. You may say that you are the lord of your own life. "I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul. My head is bloody but unbowed." One day you are going to confess Jesus Christ is the Lord. Those people who speak so despairingly of Him now, those people who still mock His name, those who use His name so carelessly in their profanity, those who have spoken out so adversely against Him, one day they too shall bow their knee, and they shall confess Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The problem is that in that day their confession will not be unto salvation. You see, Paul tells us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved, for with the mouth man confesses unto salvation. But that will not be so in that day, the confession will not be to salvation. It will be of condemnation of themselves. "Yes, He is Lord. I was wrong in rejecting Him as Lord of my life."
Verse 12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (2:12):
Now, unfortunately many people stop right there, and we get a tremendous exhortation on works and the importance of you working out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And rather than working out your salvation, it is usually interpreted, "work for your salvation with fear and trembling," and you're exhorted into all the works that you ought to be doing for God in order to be saved. And those who are emphasizing a "works" gospel, which is not a gospel, because you tell me I have to work to be saved, that is not good news, that is bad news. They use this text so often, but they don't go into the very next verse where He declares:
Verse 13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (2:13).
That is what it is all about. You see, God said to Jeremiah when Israel had totally failed in the keeping of the law, "There is going to come a day, Jeremiah, when I am no longer going to write the law on these tables of stone, but I am going to write my law in the fleshly tablets of their heart." It is He who works in you to will.
How does God reveal His will to me? He reveals His will by the desires that He places in my heart, not the desires that I necessarily have in my heart that come from me. But He places in my heart His desires, so it is He that works in you both to will. God puts it in my heart to do something. God gives me the desire, the yearning to do a particular work, to go to a particular place. And I discover that that which I desire is actually God's revealing to my heart, that which He is wanting me to do. And so, He puts it in me to will, and then He gives me the capacity to do of His good pleasure.
Several years ago I was supposed to speak in Ventura on a Sunday evening, and I decided to go up on Saturday and spend the night with my aunt in Santa Barbara. My Aunt Lois, in fact, who is now moved down into the area that we can be near her. And she made such fabulous enchiladas, and I called her and said, "Put the enchiladas on. I will be up for dinner, spend the night with you, and then I will come back to Ventura tomorrow night and speak." So, I took off for Santa Barbara. Heading up towards the Ventura freeway, when I got to Sunset Boulevard I thought, "Oh, this is such a beautiful day. I might as well drive along the coast, drive along Sunset Boulevard to Pacific Coast Highway. It is such a beautiful day I will just put the top down on my car, and I will cruise up through Malibu and go up Santa Barbara that way and just look at the ocean, because I love to stop up there at Point Magu and watch the surf come in and just the beauty of that drive." And I thought, "I just want to go the coast." I am such a water nut, and just enjoy the beach. So, I wound all the way down Sunset Boulevard, and as I was winding down Sunset Boulevard, I thought, "My, I don't remember it being this far down Sunset to the Coast. I probably made a mistake. I probably should have stayed on the inland route. Oh, well."
And as I pulled on to the Coast Highway, there was a couple there hitchhiking, and I felt rather selfish in this convertible all by myself and all, and here they are hitchhiking, and so I don't pick up hitchhikers as a rule, but I stopped and I picked them up. And I started to share with them about Jesus Christ. By the time we got to Ventura, we pulled over and they accepted the Lord. And I took them by the church where I would be speaking the next night, and I said, "Look, if you show up here tomorrow night, I will be glad to meet you." The fellow was looking for a job. He was a farmer, and he had been looking in Los Angeles for a job. I said, "They don't have any farms in Los Angeles." So I bid them farewell, drove on up to Santa Barbara, and like so many experiences, you think, "Well, probably I will never see them again." But the next night when I was at the church speaking and I gave the invitation, they came forward to accept Jesus Christ publicly. And the man in the church, the elder who came down to pray with them, happened to be the foreman of the Del Mar Lymanair Ranch, and happened to be needing an extra hand. It had housing and everything else. So, they came up afterwards and they came up with Mr. Jenkins, and they said, "Oh, guess what has happened to us? This man who prayed with us, he is the foreman of this ranch." I knew that, and he had given them a job, and then I thought back yesterday, as I was driving up and I got that sudden inspiration, "Why not go by the coast," I realized it was He who puts it into my heart to will. That thought was actually planted by the Lord, because He knew that that couple from Montana, really desperate and in need, basically for a real experience with Jesus Christ, were waiting for someone to come and share the truth with them.
And so, it is God who works in you both to will and then to do. He gives you the capacity to do, but He plants first of all the will in your heart. And this is the way that God leads us. So often it is by a sudden inspiration, a thought, an idea, God is working in you to will, and then to do. And so again, it is initiated by God. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, but it is God who is actually working in you. It is God who has put that yearning in your heart. It is God that has given you that desire. And now God will work out the ways by which that might be fulfilled. For He works in you both to will and then to do of His good pleasure.
So, the net result is that my pleasure is doing His pleasure because He put the desire in my heart to do it, and so it becomes, really, the desire of my heart or my life, and thus the pleasure of my life, and thus I can say with Jesus, "I delight to do thy will O Lord." Why? Because He has planted it in my heart. It is God who is working in you.
Verse 14
Therefore,
Do all things without murmurings and disputings (2:14):
Now, I have to confess that I don't always succeed in this particular injunction. There are certain tasks that I do that I catch myself murmuring. "I wonder where Romaine is, you know, I have to clean up this mess. Where is Romaine, you know, he is not around to clean up this mess." You know, and I think, "Hum, I have got better things to do than to sweep up this mess here, you know." And so I don't always pass with an "A" on this particular phase. I do catch myself at times murmuring over some of the pressures, over some of the things. But God is working in my heart in that. Because when I do things and I am murmuring, He usually speaks to me and says, "Why are you doing it?" And, of course, I have to respond, "I am doing it for You, Lord." And then He says, "Quit your murmuring, or quit doing it."
You know, God doesn't want any griping service. Whatever you do in word or deed, do for the glory of God, and do it as unto the Lord, and do all things without murmuring or disputing.
Verses 15–16
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation [generation], among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain (2:15-16).
So, Paul is exhorting them on how they are to serve the Lord. And the effect of their service to the Lord is the rejoicing in the heart of Paul, realizing that his ministry to them has been an effective ministry, for he has brought them into the attitude and the mind of Christ, who was willing to step from His glory into this sin-cursed world to hang on a cross. Let this mind be in you. And when you see the work and the effect of the work of God in the ministry in the hearts of the people, it creates great rejoicing.
Verse 17
Paul said,
Yea, and if I be offered [if they take my life] upon the sacrifice and service of your faith [if I die for this], I joy, and rejoice with you all (2:17).
I rejoice because of what God has done with you. I die happy knowing that God has worked in your life through my ministry.
Verse 18
For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me (2:18).
If they take my life, rejoice with me, don't weep.
Verses 19–20
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know of your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state (2:19-20).
Now, this is very interesting statement of Paul, for he is sending Timothy because Timothy shares his heart, his burden. And Paul said, "I don't have any one else who really has the same heart that I have, for you and for the work." It is really very difficult to find someone who has the same heart as Paul the apostle. One who is willing to give himself so freely. One who is really looking so little for himself, but always looking for the needs and the welfare of others. It is hard to find that kind of a minister, one that is really so careful and circumspect about the things of the Lord. Paul said, "I really don't have anyone other than Timothy who has the same mind, the same heart and concern for your state as I have."
Verse 21
For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's (2:21).
What sad indictment against the ministers, even those that were accompanying Paul, and with Paul. "I send Timothy because he has my heart for you; he cares for you as I do. Most everybody else really care for themselves more than they care for you. They are seeking their own welfare above your welfare." That is, the mind that was in Christ is not in them, who emptied Himself.
Verses 22–23
But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel. Him therefore I hope to send [him] presently [soon], so soon as I shall see how it will go with me (2:22-23).
As soon as I am able to free him, I am going to send him to you.
Verse 24
But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly (2:24).
You know, if Caesar lets me out of here, I hope that I will be able to come.
Verse 25
Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and the fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants (2:25).
In other words, he brought to me the offering that you sent, and ministered to my needs.
Verses 26–27
For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick nigh [he was near] death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow (2:26-27).
So Epaphroditus almost died. He was extremely sick, and they had heard of his sickness and were worried about him. And so Epaphroditus was concerned, they were worried for him, because of that sickness.
Interesting, Paul had a tremendous ministry of healing. Miracles were wrought, and yet, he speaks of Epaphroditus almost dying with his sickness. Why doesn't God heal everybody? Why is it that God heals some and does not heal others? Hey, we will never know the answers to that. Beware of those who have pat answers on the subject of healing, on the subjects of the works of God or the whys of God. God says, "My ways are not your ways, they are beyond your finding out." We really don't know, and it is wrong to place the guilt upon the sick person. That's the last thing they need, for you to come in and say, "Well, brother, there must be something wrong with you, some sin in your life that you are so sick. You just don't have enough faith, and if you only believed God, you could get up out of this bed and walk. You have been making the wrong confession. Don't say you feel bad, say, 'I feel great.'" It is not going to do it.
God does heal; I believe that. I have been healed many times, I know that. But God doesn't heal everybody, I recognize that. And why, I don't know. I have known reprobates who have been healed; I have known extremely godly people who were not healed, but died. It has nothing to do with a person's righteousness. It has nothing to do with a person's faith. Healing is a work of God, and it is sovereign with God and it is in God's hands. It is wrong to put the burden upon the people who are sick or upon your relatives. And I thoroughly discount as junk the messages that God wills that everybody should be healed.
Verses 28–30
So Paul said,
I sent him [Epaphroditus] therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: because for the work of Christ he was nigh [near] unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me (2:28-30).
So, he hazarded his own life in order to bring their help to Paul, and Paul appreciates it, and is sending him back with the commendation for his faithfulness.
We can finish the book of Philippians next Sunday, and these next two chapters are classic. I'll tell you, they are so much. I just love them.
Now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with each of you through this week, that you might be strengthened by His Spirit in your inner man, that you might receive the Spirit of understanding and enlightenment, that you might be able to understand how much God does love you, and His plan for your life, that you might live your life for Christ, and share with Him in His kingdom forever. God bless you, children of the King. May you walk in His love, and in His grace, in Jesus' name.
Sunday Nights, 1985 to 1999 (C3000)
Chapter introduction
Shall we turn in our Bibles now to Philippians, chapter two, as we continue our journey through the Bible. This week we’ve arrived at Philippians, chapter two.
Paul begins the chapter by exhorting them to unity and to meekness.
Verse 2
He said, If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels (tenderness) and mercies, (Then)
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
If you are really walking after Jesus Christ, if you have that consolation, that hope in Christ, if you have the comfort of His love, if you have fellowship in the Spirit, then get along with each other. Don’t be striving against those within the body of Christ.
This is, I believe, such a needed exhortation for this day! When it seems like there is so much feeling of competition within the church, there are so many who are divided and who seek to divide over trivial issues, minor differences of interpretation of Scripture. The sad thing is that they don’t allow for a differing view than their own. Someone has once defined a heretic as someone who believes differently from you. And that’s usually the way we sort of define it. And thus, if you don’t see it exactly the way I see it, you are a heretic of the first or second order, you know. And that’s tragic!
Paul is calling for a unity. If you really love the Lord and if you are really walking in the Spirit, then fulfill, Paul said, my joy. Be like-minded, having the same love. Be of one accord. Be of one mind.
Verse 3
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;
Now Paul in the previous chapter had said that while there in Rome, the word of Christ had spread throughout the palace. Some of the people were preaching Christ out of envy and strife. And there were others who were preaching Christ out of goodwill.
But here Paul is saying to the Philippians don’t do anything through envy or strife. Don’t let that be your case. Paul rejoiced in Rome that Christ was being preached. He didn’t care what their motive was as long as Christ was being preached. But don’t do things out of strife. Don’t do things for vainglory, seeking to draw attention to yourself. That is something that we have to be extremely careful about, drawing attention to ourselves.
We can it in so many subtle ways. There is something perverse about our fleshly nature. That is that we desire that people believe and think that we are very spiritual. Somehow we get a satisfaction out of people thinking that we are a deeply spiritual person. And so many times we develop sort of affectations that sort of give off an aura of deep spirituality. The tone of voice, mannerisms, expressions, “Oh, brother, my!” And we like people to think of us as deeply spiritual. “The other morning when I was in prayer, the Lord spoke to my heart. I was waiting for the sun to come up because you know.” Oooh, he gets up before the sun comes up and prays. Isn’t he spiritual?
Now you see the reason why I do that is that I want people to sort of admire me. I’m looking for vainglory. And if you want to know how vainglory is, just watch a baseball player whose has gone into a hitting slump. One who has been the leading batter, let him go into a slump and you will find out how vain the glory of the world is. It is so empty.
As I have gotten older, the knee that I injured in football in college, gets more painful. I look at it as my thorn in the flesh, a painful knee. And it is to me a constant reminder of vainglory. I can remember still so clearly the night that I injured my knee. The pain--vainglory. The Lord uses that as a constant, sort of reminder to me that the glory of the world is so vain, so passing, but it leaves a lifetime of pain.
Don’t let anything be done through strife or vainglory, but rather in contrast, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. When I was in junior high school, I joined the Hi Y club. And in joining the Hi Y club, one of the requirements was to memorize a poem. A poem entitled, “Others”. Lord, help me live from day to day in such a self forgetting way that even when I kneel to pray, my pray shall be for others. Help me in all the things I do to ever be sincerely true and know that all I do for You must need be done for others. Others, Lord, yes others, let this my model be. Help me to live for others that I may live for Thee. And that’s basically what Paul is telling us here that we should esteem others better than ourselves.
Verse 4
And we are not to
Look not every man on his own things,
Or after my own welfare. That shouldn’t be the tenor of my life, just always looking out for numero uno.
but every man also on the things of others. I should be concerned in helping others, in reaching out and in helping others, much as the Salvation Army has modeled for us. A ministry to those who are in need.
Verses 5–6
But then he said, we have a classic example of this very truth in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let this mind be in you, (Let this be your mindset. The same mindset that Jesus had.) which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery (or something to be grasped) to be equal with God:
That’s starting at the highest. In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God. In the form of God, not something to be grasped, to be equal with God.
Verse 7
But made himself of no reputation,
Now he gives us a seven step downward, from the form of God, not robbery to be equal with God, in seven steps downward that end at the cross. He made Himself of no reputation.
Verse 8
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
You can’t get any higher in the form of God, not robbery to be equal with God. You can’t any lower than death on the cross. He submitted Himself to the will of the Father. Jesus said I didn’t come to do My own will but the will of Him who sent me. And that of giving Himself to be obedient to the Father in coming to this world in a body of flesh. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Of course that’s what we are about ready to celebrate as we come to Christmas Day. This celebration of the church is the fact that the Word became flesh and He dwelled among us and we beheld His glory as of the only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, the mystery of all mysteries. He didn’t come to immediately rule and reign, but He came to give His life as a ransom for many. He came to die on the cross. Let this mind also be in you, which was in Christ Jesus, giving Himself for others.
Verse 9
But because of that,
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,
(And we take the seven steps back until we get to every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father!)
Wherefore God has also highly exalted Him, and given him a name which is above every name: He has given Him a name that is above every name!
Verse 10
That at the name of Jesus
(At the birth of Christ, Mary, of course was engaged to Joseph. They had not yet consummated their marriage. And when it was discovered that Mary was pregnant, Joseph was deeply troubled. The story that she had to tell was rather far-fetched and hard to accept. His love for Mary gave him mixed emotion. He wanted to put her away privately, perhaps, because if he publicly exposes her, she’ll be stoned by the village and that he couldn’t bear. And while he was pondering just what shall I do, he was ripped up inside, the angel of the Lord came to him at night. The angel said don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife because that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. And she is going to bear a son. And you shall call His name, Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sin.
The name, Jesus, is the Greek for the Hebrew name, Joshua, which is a contraction of the name, Yehowshuwa, which is contraction of Jehovah Shuwa. And the name literally means, the Lord our salvation, or Jehovah, our Salvation. It’s a beautiful name! The angel said, you shall call His name, Joshua, or Yehowshuwa, for He shall save His people from their sins. That’s what the name means. Yah or Jehovah Shuwa, salvation. Yehowshuwa, you shall call His name, Yehowshuwa, for He shall save His people from their sin.
When the angel announced to Mary, that God had chosen her to be the human instrument, the vessel to bring the Messiah into the world, the angel told her that she was to call His name Yeshua. And so God has given Him a name that is above every name.
Verse 11
That at the name of Yeshua, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
(that Yeshua Meshiach, is the Curios, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lord. The Curios being the New Testament name for Jehovah, that Jesus is God!
Now in Isaiah 45:23, the Lord there declares, I have sworn by Myself and it shall actually come to pass or it shall be, that unto Me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear. The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness. It will not return. So the prophecy of every knee bowing, every tongue swearing.
In Psalm 22, that Psalm that is prophetic of the crucifixion, we read in verse 27, “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord and all of the nations and the families of nations, shall worship before Thee. They that go down to the dust (verse 29, the middle part) shall bow before Him and none can keep alive His own soul.”
Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Sooner or later every knee shall bow! It’s better sooner that later. Tonight we gladly bow our knee! We gladly confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord.
In Romans 10:9-10, that is thou shall confess with thy mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and you believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved!
To confess now and to submit now to the lordship of Jesus Christ, means salvation. It means eternal life. To wait until that day, in future, when every knee should bow, those that are in heaven, those that are on the earth and those that are under the earth, if you wait until the day in which you are forced to bow your knee and make that confession, at that time it will not mean salvation, it will be an acknowledgement of the righteous justice of God in forbidding you entrance into His eternal kingdom. But that confession will be made! People may curse and use the name of Jesus for blasphemy today, but one day they will bow their knee. And they will confess that He is Lord!
The night that Jesus was born, there were certain shepherds in the field keeping watch over their flocks, that night. Suddenly the angel of the Lord came upon them. The glory of the Lord shone round about them. They were sore afraid. The angel said, fear not, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people! For unto you a Son is born this day in the city of David, the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord. The soter, the christos, and the curios—Jesus Christ the Lord! That’s how He was announced.
Now Jesus is salvation. Every knee shall confess that Jesus is salvation! He is the Messiah. He is the Lord! Jesus, is the Messiah, the Lord, to the glory of God the Father!
When the angel announced there is born in the city of David, the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord, suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest! The confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lord, unto the glory of God! It was announced at His birth. It shall happen again. So God has highly exalted Him. He has given Him this name above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, of things in earth and of things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father!
Verse 12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
You were very diligent when I was there. Now while I am absent, be even more diligent to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. But watch out! Because here is where many people stop. They begin to preach a gospel of works. Doesn’t it say work out your own salvation with fear and trembling? But that’s the danger of taking a Scripture out of its context.
Verse 13
For you need to read on, the very next verse declares,
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Where does the desire come from? It comes from God. God said and in that day, I will no longer write My law on tables of stone, but I will write them on the fleshly tablets of their hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 11:19; 2 Corinthians 3:3)
The Psalmist said (Psalms 37:4), delight thyself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. He will plant His will in your heart. So work out your own salvation, yes, with fear and trembling, yes, but realize it’s God that is working in you! He is the one that gave you the will. He is the One that put it upon your heart. It is God that works in you both to will and then He is the One that gives the ability to do it! It is God that works in you both to will, to guide you by the heart and the desires, and then gives to you the capacity and power of doing. So it is He that works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Verse 14
Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Wouldn’t you like to put that up in your kid’s bedroom? So often and how sad, when we hear people that as you know, you suggest something and they have to argue. They have to dispute over it. Or they do it murmuring.
Verse 15
But do all things without murmuring or disputing,
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Let your light so shine before men, the Bible says, that when they see your good works they glorify your Father that is in heaven. Do things without murmuring, without disputing, with the right attitude, that you might be an example of a son of God, beyond reproach, because you are living in the midst of a perverse generation. But you are to shine as a light to the world.
Verse 16
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
So I am absent, but I want you to live a life of commitment to Jesus Christ. Work out your own salvation as God is working in you, both to will and to do, and do it without murmuring, without disputing, with a cheerful attitude because you are shining as a light in this dark world as you hold forth the word of life.
As I was reading I thought that would a great theme for a pastors’ conference—holding forth the word of life. Don’t be surprised if you hear that as the next theme for the pastors’ conference.
Verse 17
Paul said,
Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
Now at this particular point, Paul’s future was in question. Many believe that he had already had his first hearing and was going to now appear before Nero in the final hearing. And Nero being the kind of person that he was, Paul’s future was quite uncertain. And he didn’t know if he was going to live or die. And he sort of had mixed emotions about the future as he shared in chapter one. I find myself torn between, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better and yet it’s needful for your sakes that I stay around awhile longer. So if I am offered upon the sacrifice and the service of your faith, if my life is taken, by Caesar, I rejoice with you all. I rejoice for the fact that I was able to minister to you and for the friendship, for the fellowship that we enjoyed.
Verse 18
For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
In other words, if Caesar takes my life, don’t be sorrowing. I want you to rejoice with me. You know, it’s interesting, Paul says this and in just a few moments as he talks about Epaphroditus, who had come from the church in Philippi to bring him an offering from the church to help him, in talking about Epaphroditus, he said that he was upset because you heard that Epaphroditus was sick. Indeed he was sick. He almost died, Paul said for the cause of the gospel, but the Lord was gracious and he healed him, lest I have sorrow upon sorrow. And now he is talking about if Epaphroditus died, he said he would have sorrow on sorrow, but if I die, rejoice! Rejoice with me.
In writing to the church in Thessalonica, he said concerning those who sleep in Christ, those that have died I write to you that you sorrow not as those who have no hope. Now he is not denying our sorrow. When we lose a loved one, we do sorrow. It’s a natural thing to sorrow over the loss of a loved one.
But as I examined my sorrow in the loss of my father and brother, and I examined my sorrow at the loss of my mother, I realized that my sorrow was for myself. When I thought of myself and I thought of all that I’m going to be missing and you know, and all of the input, the positive input that they brought into my life and all of the love and the, you know, the whole thing, I sorrowed! I grieved! But my sorrow was not as those who have no hope, because when I would think of them, they are with the Lord, in the presence of our Lord! Oh, you know you rejoice that they are with Jesus!
So there is that sorrow and rejoicing. It’s all where your mind is set. Thinking of them you rejoice. Thinking of yourself, you sorrow. And so Paul is talking about, perhaps, his being offered for the service of Jesus Christ. And if so, rejoice with me!
Verse 19
But (he said) I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
So, I’ll be sending Timothy shortly and he will report back to me because I am anxious to find out just how you are doing.
Verse 20
And he said concerning Timothy,
For I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state
(or your condition). That’s quite an interesting statement! Paul says that no one who really shares my heart for you like Timothy. He is like-minded with me. He is concerned, as I am, for you.
Verse 21
It’s a rather tragic thing that Paul should make that statement, for he goes on to say.
For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.
There are many different motives for people being involved in the ministry. Paul’s heart was for the people. Gladly, he said, will I be offered for your sakes. He said no one has quite the same vision. No one has quite the same heart for you, as I do, except Timothy. That’s why I’m am going to send him to you.
Naturally, as the age that I have now come to, arrive to day by day at the older, I realize my mortality. You know when you are young, you feel like you’re immortal. The path in front of you seems endless. But as you get older, the realization that your days are numbered, becomes a very kind of governing factor of your life. You want to make sure that you spend your time wisely.
But in beginning to look for a successor, I have great difficulty because I’m looking for someone who would be like-minded and have the same degree and intensity of love for you that I have. Someone who would care for your estate as I care for it. Someone who would have the same love and compassion to minister to you, not for gain but for a heart that just wants to minister from the motive of love.
As the board was talking about my salary a couple of years ago and raised my salary, I said, you fellows, I said, you’re too much. If you only knew, you could cut off my salary and I could still minister. It’s just my heart! And I guess maybe I’ll live forever because God put me on earth to accomplish so many things and I’m so far behind now, I don’t think I’ll ever die.
So Paul is sending Timothy because he has that care for them that Paul does.
Verse 22
But ye know (he said) the proof of him (that is of Timothy), that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.
What a glorious record of Timothy as a son with a father, he has been faithful, standing side by side with Paul throughout the ministry.
Verse 23
Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
As soon as the trial is over, Timothy is going to stay until I have my case heard. Then you know, if I am put to death or if I’m imprisoned longer, whatever, then I’ll send Timothy, but he is going to stay with me through this trial until the outcome is know.
Verse 24
But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.
I trust that, you know, this all will be over, will be behind us and I will be able to come. Now whether or not Paul did receive a reprieve at the first hearing before Nero, we’re not sure. There are early church traditions that do say that on the first time, the first appearance before Nero, that Paul was dismissed, that he did return to Philippi and to Ephesus and to some of the churches but then Nero had Paul arrested and brought back to Rome. And then he had him beheaded.
A very interesting thing about this fellow, Caesar Nero, now we do know that Paul, whenever he stood before the court, Felix, Festus, Agrippa, that he always took the opportunity of sharing the gospel. When he preached to Felix, he was feeling so convicted, he trembled under the conviction of the Spirit. He said, I’ll hear more from you some other time. When he appeared before Festus. Festus was also touched. When he appeared before Agrippa, after Paul gave his witness, Agrippa said, almost thou persuadest me to become a Christian! Festus sort of put him off. I’ll hear you again at a more convenient time.
Now don’t you know that when Paul appeared before Nero, he gave Nero a witness of Jesus Christ that was powerful, that was dynamic, that was convicting. I’m certain that as Paul stood before Nero, he was thinking, if I could just convert this guy, what it would mean! The emperor of Rome receiving Christ! I’m sure that Paul laid on him a witness that was second to none!
It is interesting that as you study the history of Caesar Nero, in the early part of his reign as the emperor of Rome, he seemed to be a fairly decent person. But he had a radical change of personality. And it is interesting that that radical change of personality happened about the same time as Paul appeared before Nero. And I believe that it is quite possible that Paul gave to Nero an extremely powerful witness of Christ. Nero had his opportunity to receive eternal salvation, but in rejecting the witness, though he, according to tradition, he released Paul the first time, that in rejecting it, he rebelled so much the Lord that I believe that he became possessed by an evil spirit. When you read the things that Caesar Nero did, it could only be done by a man who was not in his right mind, who was possessed by an evil spirit! The rejection of God's grace and love often turns a person into a violent enemy of Christ.
Verse 25
So Paul said, I trust in the Lord that I also will come shortly to you,
Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and
fellow soldier, So these are the--He’s my brother. He’s my companion in labor. He’s a fellow soldier.
but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. He was here, bringing from you the offering that you sent, ministering to my needs.
Verses 26–30
For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:
Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.
He hazarded his own life in order to bring to me your offering. So hold him in high esteem and the fellow who is willing to put his life on the line for the sake of the gospel.
So we come to the end of chapter two. Next week, if you will read the third chapter, we’ll continue our journey through the Bible as we study the Word of God together.
Father, we thank You for the ministry of Paul and for the exhortation. And Lord, help us that we might take these to heart, that we might serve You, Lord with a joyful, happy heart, that we wouldn’t be guilty of doing things through strife or vainglory. Nor Lord, help us that we would not be filled with murmuring and disputing, but Lord may we be like Jesus, who was willing to empty Himself in order to be obedient unto Your will. And Lord, so may we give our lives as we are giving ourselves for the sake of others, reaching out to help and to minister to those that are in need. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.